Past Revelations
by Busman's Holiday
Summary: Stendan, set in near-future. When Ste makes breakfast at the Brady's, his rivalry with Joel brewing, Theresa reveals her past relationship with Ste to Brendan and Joel.


_**A/N Set some time in the future. It's hard to know whether this is fully in character for Brendan as he seems to be a little more at ease with his sexuality in the show these days, so I hope you find this in-character.**_

**Past Revelations**

If he'd been at home he probably would have laughed and said "Eurgh, d'you mind? You're putting me off my breakfast here," or "E'ya get out my way," as he squeezed past the two teenage lovers, mid-set through a game of tonsil tennis. But the situation, awkward enough as it was, (him in an ill-fitting t-shirt and trackies that needed to be clutched round the middle to stay up) didn't needed to be added to. So he coughed a bit, laughed sheepishly and wiggled his way past Theresa, in little more than her undies, to get to the kettle.

Joel broke from his liplock with his girlfriend. "You still here then?"

"Looks like, don't it?" Ste replied, keeping his back to Joel and filling up the kettle.

Even though it was under her breath, Ste heard Theresa mutter, "Joel!" and he smiled to himself.

It seemed Joel hadn't learnt that you don't disobey a McQueen and he carried on regardless, letting Theresa slide off his lap and perch on the breakfast bar instead.

"Three nights in a row," Joel observed. He folded his arms across his body. "Hav'to start chargin' you rent soon,"

Ste gave him a tight-lipped smile. "N'aww you feeling left out?" He stuck out his bottom lip, "Surrogate daddy not giving you enough attention?"

Joel fixed him with a cold stare. "You wanna be careful who you're talking to, pal,"

Theresa tapped Joel's leg again willing him to shut up, particularly as when she tossed back her hair she spotted that Brendan had emerged from the bedroom.

Scoffing, Ste replied, "You really need to work on your hard-man act, mate,"

"Play nice boys," Brendan said, his voice layered with that morning grogginess – the night spent groaning into Ste's ear. He gathered a dressing gown around him and snatched the last slice of Joel's toast from his plate. "What is this, mother's meeting?" he asked, crumbs spraying in Joel's direction.

"How long's he gonna be hangin' around for?" Joel asked, unwisely, without noticing Theresa had slipped off to beside Ste at the sink, as though she was taking the other side.

Ste reached over and handed Brendan a mug of coffee. Always coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon. He was still buzzing from learning Brendan's domestic quirks and was helpless when it came to wanting to indulge them, meaning Brendan was sure to open the kitchen cupboards and find every variety of biscuit and cereal that he liked. Brendan always ate more when he was in a good mood, which benefited Ste through even more exercise in the bedroom to burn it off. They had months to make up for.

He had a vice-like grip on Joel's shoulder. "Well, he'll still be here tonight, you, on the other hand, are a different story," Brendan glanced at Ste, "Whadda say Steven, shall I kick Scottish Foxy out on the streets?"

Ste nodded with childlike enthusiasm, leaving Brendan laughing. As toast sprang from the toaster, Ste signalled to Brendan, indicating the jam (the one he'd bought specially) and getting a raise of his brow for approval. Whilst spreading it, thick and even on the bread, Ste would share the odd glance with Brendan, still disbelieving that this wasn't a dream and unable to stop the smug grin that tickled him.

"Joel it's okay, you can come and stay at the Pink Palace with me and Michaela," Theresa said in a half-hearted attempt at a whisper to soothe his ego.

Ste snorted. "Pink Palace? Sounds _well _dodgy!" He licked his thumb clean of jam and handed over the plate to Brendan, who paused between shovelling in the food, to touch Ste lightly on the back. Ste hiked up Brendan's trackies that he'd borrowed and scooted himself up on the counter next to Theresa.

Brendan raised up his plate, making noisy slurps as he cleaned his fingers. "You've excelled yourself, Steven," Brendan said through a stuffed mouth and Ste let the grin come this time, he didn't even care that Joel was still giving him daggers.

Theresa screwed her face up a little. "It's still dead weird, you know," she said to Ste, "You being gay now,"

"And why's that?" Brendan asked defensively, watching Theresa shrink a little. She was still fearful around him, the brooding looks and the manic persona, the way he treated Joel. Although truthfully, she had always had a soft spot for bad boys, just perhaps not Brendan so much. The 'tashe still edged on the creepy side for her, she wondered how Ste could fancy him so much.

Theresa shifted, "Just cos…well, you know, we went out didn't we?"

"Yeah, you were well fit! Still are actually," he nudged her with his elbow.

When Ste stopped laughing he realised that he and Theresa had the weight of both Joel and Brendan's stares on them.

"What?" Theresa shrugged, looking at Joel. His disapproval was etched through his snarl. "It wasn't anything serious, just a bit of fun. Isn't that right Ste?"

Ste looked warily to Brendan first, who stood quiet and listening intently. Ste could almost hear him ticking. And then to Joel who grew to look more like Warren on a daily basis, chest puffed out and eyes bulging. It was like one of those wildlife documentaries just before one of the animals got their head ripped off.

He was silently begging Theresa to just stop right there, Joel (or Brendan) didn't need the gory details of what had been a few immature dates and (looking back on it) a lot of fumbling, unsatisfying sex.

"You slept with this smug get?" Joel said, the green eyes reappearing in his sulk.

Ste jumped down from the counter. "Oi! Who're you calling a git?"

"Yes Joel, who are you calling a smug git?" Brendan said, his voice taking that robotic quality, the warning sign, as he turned his head, cocking it to the side.

"Babe it was years ago," Theresa reassured, throwing her arms around him and moving his possessive hand away from her arse. "I've got you now," she cooed, "And judging by what we heard this morning, Ste's pretty satisfied," Theresa gave Ste a wink.

"He's got no complaints," Brendan said, moving his way round the kitchen, loading his arms with biscuits, slices of bread and a jar of jam, "Certainly more fulfilling than a go on schoolgirl Barbie," he pinged the soft waistband of Ste's loaned jogging bottoms and nodded towards the bedroom. Joel was about to flare up again but Brendan raised his hand like an owner and his dog and continued.

"Now as delightful and _enlightening_ as this chat has been, I've got better things to do, if you'll excuse me. Steven?"

Brendan began heading to the bedroom, supplies in hand and Steven in tow.

"You're supposed to be working the club later!" Joel called out.

"Something came up," he said, taking his time to run his eyes over Ste's body. "You sort it, Mr Fifty-Percent!"

X

"Are you really not bothered?" Ste asked, rubbing his jam-sticky lips together, palms propping up his head, "About me and Theresa?"

Brendan snorted, second sandwich down. "Why would I be bothered about you and Theresa?"

He gave little laugh, rolling onto his back and staring up at Brendan. "I dunno. Jealousy?"

"You want me to be jealous of some girl you screwed years ago? _Theresa_?" Brendan put down the jar he was toying with and leant over until he was propped on top of Ste. "Why would she be any competition? She ain't got you now and she sure as hell didn't have you then. You didn't even know what sex was til I got my hands on ya,"

"Is that right?" Ste said, teasing. He kissed Brendan briefly on the mouth.

"If she was that good, Joel would have shut up by now," Brendan said, "It's the only way I know to get you quiet," he snaked his hand round Ste's hip and murmured in his ear. "Fucking you until you forget your own name. And I know she couldn't do that." He took Ste's lip into his mouth with his teeth.

And although it wasn't real jealousy, one that ripped into you and torn at your sanity, Ste let himself enjoy the feeling of Brendan proving he wasn't in the slightest bit bothered by Ste's sexual history. His possessiveness certainly had its attractions.


End file.
